Discrete Thoughts: Essays on Mathematics, Science, and Philosophy [Series: Scientists of Our Time]

Kac, Mark.; Rota, Gian-Carlo; Schwartz, Jacob T.; Newman, Harry., ed.

ISBN 10: 0817632859 / ISBN 13: 9780817632854

Published by Birkhäuser, Boston, 1986

About this Item

. . . . 8vo, hardcover. No dj. Good condition. Ex-lib copy w/ front bookplate, top text-block edge stamped, rear pocket & outer labels neatly removed; exterior slightly edge-rubbed, contents bright & clean, binding tight. xii, 264 p. Seller Inventory # 1100319.46

Bibliographic Details

Title: Discrete Thoughts: Essays on Mathematics, ...

Publisher: Birkhäuser, Boston

Publication Date: 1986

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis:

"a ~Mathematicians, like Proust and everyone else, are at their best when writing about their first lovea (TM) a ] They are among the very best we have; and their best is very good indeed. a ] One approaches this book with high hopes. Happily, one is not disappointed." "a ]In paperback it might well have become a best seller. a ]read it." From The Mathematical Intelligencer "Mathematics is shaped by the consistent concerns and styles of powerful minds a "three of which are represented here. Kaca (TM)s work is marked by deep commitment and breadth of inquiry. "Rota is the easiest of these authors to reada ]a delight: witty and urbane, with a clear and interesting agenda and an astonishing intellectual range. To read him is to be a part of a pleasant and rewarding conversation. "Jacob T. Schwartz attacks problems ina ]computer science, mathematical economics, computer and instructional a ] No matter how slippery the problem, Schwartz manages to capture a substantial chunk of it in his mathematical net." a "Mathematics Magazine This is a volume of essays and reviews that delightfully explore mathematics in all its moods a" from the light and the witty, and humorous to serious, rational, and cerebral. Topics include: logic, combinatorics, statistics, economics, artificial intelligence, computer science, and applications of mathematics broadly. You will also find history and philosophy covered, including discussion of the work of Ulam, Kant, Heidegger among others.

Review:

.,."These papers reflect on mathematics and its influence on human society. They can help the specialist to notice what is going on around him, and they may lead educated people from other domains to a better understanding of mathematics. Many of these papers can advise educators how to form a modern mathematics education, which develops approved ideas and institutions...I admire the stimulating perspectives of the authors" --American Mathematical Society